The purpose of this essay is to examine the theories of leadership using a reflective account. The author intends to discuss how the identified theories and/or models influence clinical practice in healthcare settings. Additionally, the essay will include discussions on the ways of measuring the effectiveness of these models. Finally, recommendations on the improvement and patient and staff experiences are provided. The essay first defines leadership in general terms, and then focuses on leadership in the health care system.
Leadership entails guiding others to realize particular goals using a variety of skills (Sullivan & Garland, 2011); Weihrich & Koontz, 2008). Likewise, Spector (2006), defined leadership as the art of influencing
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Further, an evidence-based practice which underpins good clinical practices is vital for building staff performance by encouraging a high degree of interactions with clinical innovations. The leadership theories discussed in the following section are intended to provide an indication of how they concatenate with healthcare management.
The Situational leadership theories states that “a leader emerges to fit the situation” (Kreitner and Cassidy, 2011, p.399). In other words, different people will take the lead in various situations that will subsequently require different skills. Al-Sawai (2013) argues that the ever changing elements present within healthcare would benefit from leaders encouraging their subordinate leaders to develop and adopt diverse leadership styles to suite different conditions. This leadership style may be suitable for adoption by unsuccessful leaders because it allows them to adjust their leadership style to deal with more fluid circumstances.
According to Institute of Medicine (2011) capabilities of situational leaders include skill presentation recognition, flexibility including competence and pledge of others. Situational leaders relate with their subordinates by encouraging and directing them. Situational leadership is an association between the subordinates’ development level and leaders ' behaviour to offer encouragement and direction. (Carter et al, 2005; Northouse, 2013) The
Leadership in a healthcare setting requires a great breath of knowledge specific to healthcare and but it also requires soft skills that can be translated to many other professional endeavors. This essay will examine the leadership style of a specific healthcare professional, the strategies and skills that she uses to motivate their staff members and the results or impacts of the application of the skills and knowledge of leadership. The interview of this leader allowed an insight into the inner workings of both the leader herself, but also into the challenges that her organization faces. A more thorough understanding of organizational leadership and culture in particular could benefit this leader and provide this leader with additional
How can we ensure that effective healthcare leadership is incorporated in today’s organization? While continued reports exist of organizations struggling to stay afloat, research has indicated that healthcare organizations are lacking in effective styles of leaderships. With fast approaching changes with mergers and acquisitions, many healthcare organizations have chosen to restructure their facilities to accommodate the rapid growth in the industries crisis of inadequate leadership in organizations. In fact, numerous reports have surfaced depicting growing needs for organizations to change their current leader’s roles to help improve the potential success of developing effective leadership.
Leadership is defined as utilizing an individual’s interpersonal skills to influence other individuals in order to achieve a certain goal (Sullivan and Garland 2010). In clinical practice, the principle of leadership is motivating, inspiring and promoting the values of the NHS, in order to be able to focus on all the needs of the clients. Furthermore, it helps to establish good
The case scenario regarding the Windber demonstrates the pressure facing many small hospitals with long ingrained but increasingly less optimal policies, procedures and operational strategies. The outdated nature of the Windber facilities would call for strong, central and transformative leadership. Using the Situational Leadership Theory, one could make an argument that Jacobs would be exactly the kind of leader demanded by the challenges ahead. According the Blanchard & Hersey (1996), situational leadership requires a leader with the inherent flexibility and versatility to shape strategies according to that which is demanded by both internal and external needs. As Blanchard & Hersey report, "leaders must first identify their most important tasks or priorities. Second, leaders must consider the readiness level of their followers by analyzing the group's ability and willingness. Depending on the level of these variables, leaders must apply the most appropriate leadership style to fit the given situation." (p. 1)
Effective leader experiment and take risks regardless of small failure, error or mistake to make a change (Kouzes & Posner 2011). They must ensure that all the staffs get chance to improve and upgrade their existing knowledge, skill and improving their competencies to provide evidence based care (Nicol 2012). This ultimately lead to a greater accomplish, development and progress in a health organization through incremental steps and small wins (Careau et al. 2014). They must have feedback session with staff, patients and family members regarding organization. So that they can identify good and bad things that are hindering success of an organization and act accordingly and minimize negative things (Teixeira et al. 2012). Leader must create a culture to recognize reward and praise risk takers. So that members can be motivated towards progressive activities in an organization. This all leads towards progression, development of health organization resulting high standard qualitative healthcare (Sarto& Veronesi
Leadership has been defined in a number of ways, but the concept is still indefinable (Barr and Dowding 2016). Buchanan and Huczynski (2010, p. 596) define leadership as “a process of influencing the activities of an organised group in its efforts towards goal-setting and goal achievement”. In clinical practice, leadership translates to an ability to direct other to achieve evidence-based practice that supports enhanced patient outcomes (Kelly-Hiedenthal 2004). Like any other industries and organisations, an effective leadership skill is vital in the healthcare sector to improve the standards of the care and to achieve organisational goals (Bach and Ellis 2015). Sullivan and Decker (2004) stated that nurses often step up to the
In order for the health service to achieve the delivery of high quality, safe, effective care; successful leadership will be required at multidisciplinary level throughout the organisation (Health Service Executive 2009). Research on leadership has revealed an optimistic affiliation with improved patient safety results, salubrious work environment (Shirley 2009), job fulfilment (Sellgren et al. 2007), reduced staff resignation rate,
Leadership is a difficult task, by which a person impacts others to accomplish an objective. While this is a challenging situation in any field, it is of extreme significance in the healthcare setting, where quality of service, trust, and ultimately people's lives are dependant. In addition, leadership-- whether it be positive or
This essay will first consider the different leadership theories and the evidence that supports those theories within healthcare practice. Highlighting how these theories can enhance patient experience whilst promoting a transparent open culture to healthcare, linking leadership and decision making to a patient scenario experienced by the author. It will then go on to describe the differences between behavioural, trait, transformational leadership models researching the positive and negatives of the theories from a range of academic sources. The third part looks at the importance of clinical decision making in the practice setting, encompassing when and who is responsible for making decision in a healthcare setting (Haycock-Stuart, E and
The belief of leadership is constantly changing, with many theories and frameworks available. Today’s organizations face ever-increasing change, which includes increased patient demands and work needs, which requires a more adaptive flexible leadership that is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century. Leadership theory and philosophy can be divided into several well-known styles. Within this paper, we will discuss the basis of autocratic, democratic, laissez faire, servant, charismatic, transformational, and situational styles of leadership within the nursing profession, then conclude the writer’s personal philosophies of leadership.
As the health care environment in our country continues to change at a rapid pace, the need for properly prepared leaders in all health care environments will grow. The Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) prepared nurse will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to rise to the highest levels of leadership in the institution of health care. To be an effective leader requires knowledge of the organization’s mission and the guidance of a theory of leadership congruent with and capable of delivering the facility’s objective. The traits of the leader must harmonize with the theory of leadership that is applied. Through careful examination of an organization’s structure, an appropriate leadership style to match the traits of the leader and followers may be identified. Connecting the organization, leadership style, and traits of the leader and followers will promote success with the implementation of new processes to improve the quality of patient care for the population served.
The text will cover a number of different aspects of leadership. We will consider my personal understanding of leadership and it relates to certain leadership theories. In my philosophy of leadership, I will address what role I believe a health care leader should play, what leadership theory they should follow, and why leaders should follow that theory. It will describe my current sphere of influence and how it has shaped my understanding of leadership. I will explain how I am a leader in my current position and how I apply my leadership philosophy within my position. Then I will provide how I see the use of informal, formal, positive and negative power as it applies to my personal philosophy of leadership.
The key to the success of a healthcare organization is defined by the many qualities and attributes its leaders possess when overseeing patient care. Such care, whether executed at the micro, meso, or macro level, can be beneficial to an organization, or results in the failure when change is inappropriately addressed. A strong leader is one who can manage change, and direct care throughout all the numerous levels of an organization by utilizing values that are a reflection of the bureaucratic thoughts and principles, or the complex adaptive system.
Situational Leadership is also called as Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory. Paul Hersey the author of "Situational Leader" and Ken Blanchard the author of " The One Minute Manager" are the one who introduced this theory (Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory, 2010-2015). The principle behind this theory is that every theory is not perfect in itself and the effectiveness of the theory is determined by the situation (Kreitner, 2013, p. 472). One of the important lesson that I have learned till this day is no one can be prepared for the upcoming problems. Problems may have same nature but may be different in the way it has to be solved. For instance: A Leader may motivate an employee by increasing salary but the same tactics may not work for another employee. Another employee may be seeking challenging job which may influence him/her to
The situational leadership model was developed by two authors, Ken Blanchard, and Paul Hersey in the year 1969. These authors based this model on the concept that leadership should adapt to different management practices and approaches to fit different situations and surpass any diversity of their encounters (Lussier & Achua, 2010). In particular, this model provides guidance on how to analyze a situation, choose effaceable strategies and adopt the most appropriate leadership style. Apparently, the two developers of the model researched and found that, given some case, leadership may fail to accomplish some goals due to adopting single